Force interactions between nano-particles has been studied for a long time. One technique is Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), in which direct visualisation of the interacting particles gives understanding of the interaction. However, this method only gives a visual presentation of the interaction, and its use is therefor limited.
One improved method and device for studying force interactions between nano-particles is the TEM-STM microscope (transmission electron microscope-scanning tunnelling microscope). In this kind of microscope a scanning tunnelling microscope (STM) is placed inside a transmission electron microscope (TEM), enabling simultaneous measurements of sample structure as well as electrical properties of the samples, such as conductance. This microscopy technique is much helpful when studying certain aspects of particle interaction. However, there is still a need for extending the range of experiments that can be performed, and thereby gaining a deeper understanding of the nature of matter.